Choices
by The Average Geek
Summary: I didn't like the way ME3 ended so i changed some things. This is my first story ever, so please be kind and review. Let me know if you liked it or what i can do to make it better.


**CHOICES**

**She didn't understand. That's what she had to choose from. Those were not choices. Controlling the Reaper she thought. Never even an option, how could she be sure they wouldn't be controlling her. And then there was destroying the Reapers which is what she had been fighting for her whole life, well this life anyways. But if what this creepy Catalyist kid was saying is true and it would destroy ALL synthetics plus the Mass Relays. Then that meant destroying EDI and all the Geth. The Geth who were finally free thanks to Legions sacrifice, and finally getting along with the Quarian after years and years at war. And EDI who she was actually starting to consider a friend and who made Joker happier than she had ever seen him. And destroying the mass relays trapping everyone where they were. What was the point in getting the krogans, Turians and Salarians all on speaking terms. Then there were all the aliens that would be trapped on Earth including Wrex who would be away from Eve who was on Tuchunka raising the babies that he had worked so hard for. **

** It all just seemed so wrong like the galaxy was playing some big trick on her. She looked back at the Catalyst/kid getting ready to demand another option. He was standing in front of a weird terminal she hadn't noticed before. Had the terminal always been there? She couldn't remember. She wanted to ask him what it was but had the weird feeling that he wouldn't answer her. She started walking towards it but before she had even made it a few steps the kid appeared before her blocking her path. He didn't say anything as he stood there looking at her with his creepy glowing eyes and she decided that if he was trying to stop her that probably meant it was something important. She started walking towards it again, well more like stumbling as she was sure she had lost more blood than a human body should. She didn't even slow down when her body passed right through the boy. **

** She stood in front of the terminal not sure what she wanted to do now. She looked back at the kid who was now looking at her with what she could have sworn was hate in his eyes. **

**"What is this?" she asked, not really expecting him to answer. She wasn't surprised when he just kept staring. **

** She tried to fiddle with the buttons but couldn't make heads or tails of it. She really wished she had Kaidan here with her. He was such a geek sometimes and could have easily figured this out. She looked back over at the kid and on second thought she was glad that Kaidan wasn't ****there****. She wanted him safe and she was pretty sure that meant being as far away from this kid as possible. She tried to remember where he was before the Harbingers beam had hit them. She hoped he was okay. She didn't know what she would do if... She immediately cut off that train of thought. Thinking like that was not going to help her figure this out. **

**Looking back at the terminal she decided to do what Commander Shepard does best she brought up her Cain she had been holding and started shooting the terminal.**

"**MAJOR!" "MAJOR ALENKO!" Slowly Kaidan opened his eyes trying to figure out who was yelling his name. He looked up to see Lieutenant Vega standing over him with a look of concern on his face. Why did he look so concerned and where was Shepard. "SHEPARD!" She had been directly in the path of that Harbingers beam. Was she okay? Where was she? His mind was racing and he couldn't seem to make it stop.**

"**I think she made it to the Crucible. Someone reported seeing a woman get up after the blast and make a run for the beam" He heard James saying. **

**So she had made it. She was okay, but now she was up there all alone doing god knows what. "I figured it had to be her, only Lola would be crazy enough to do that" James was saying. It really bugged him when he called her that. But he didn't have time to tell him that now, he had to figure out how to get up to Shepard.**

** Trying to stand up was harder than he expected. The pain that shot up his leg was one of the worst pains he had ever felt. But he didn't let it stop him. "How do you suppose we get to her?" He asked Vega trying to ignore the pain in his leg.**

"**I don…" Whatever he was about to say was cut off by the sound of an explosion up above. They both looked up just in time to see a bright beam of red light shoot from the Crucible hitting every Reaper in sight. When the light started burning their eyes that had to look away. **

**As Kaidan looked to the left he could barely see one of the reapers that had been standing near the Thames river get hit with the red beam and fall over. "She did it" he said not even realizing he was speaking out loud. The relief he felt was so much he thought he might fall down but as he looked back up to the Crucible he felt his heart drop. "NO" he shouted as he watched the Crucible explode. He stood there... just staring as he watched it break in to a million pieces and start raining down towards the earth. **

** "Shepard..." he said, barely a whisper. I can't lose you again. I just can't. He could hear James talking, but what did it matter. Shepard was gone. His Shepard was gone. She had given her life to save the world yet again. She had left him. Again. **

**He's not sure how long he stood there just staring up at where the Crucible use to be, it must have been a while when he sees that most of the pieces have made it through the atmosphere.**

"**NO" he says in a voice that doesn't sound much like his. No. She said she was going to fight to be with him again and if there is anybody that can survive that it's Shepard. His mind starts racing as he tries to figure out how Shepard could have survived the explosion. "James find a mako with a full tank of gas and any medi-gel you can" he barks out in a voice full of authority. **

"**But Sir." **

"**HURRY" Kaidan commands. James gives him a confused look but decides not to question him and takes off running giving Kaidan a few minutes to think of a plan. He decides the best place to start is with the piece he saw fall near Big Ben. It appeared to be a piece of the Crucible he did not recognize and definitely the biggest. That's where they should start. That's where he would find her.**

** James came running up behind him, startling him from his inner thoughts "Major" Kaidan looked and could see that James had none of the items he had asked him to bring. "Where is the Mako James or the medi-gel? Did you bring anything I asked you to get?" he was becoming more than a little annoyed. He didn't have time to waste. Shepard might not have time. They needed to hurry. "Hey chill man" James was saying as a mako rounded the corner. "I ran into a few medics and figured they could help" Kaidan looked up and saw that it was Garrus driving the mako with a young man and woman in the back. Kaidan started walking towards the passenger side door while James got in the back. **

"**Do you really think...?" Garrus started **

"**Yea" Kaidan said before he could even finish the question.**

**Garrus nodded "Well if anyone could, it would definitely be her. So where are we headed" he asked already on the move.**

"**We check the big piece that fell next to Big Ben first." Kaidan said as Garrus sped up and headed in that direction. James silently passed up some medi-gel for Kaidan to smear on his leg. They didn't have far to drive and even with all the rubble they made it there in excellent time. **

** As soon as they were near Kaidan hopped out of the Mako and started searching. The pain in his leg had finally eased off with the help of the medi-gel and was now just an uncomfortable tingling sensation. They all spread out and where searching through the rubble as quickly as possible. "SHEPARD" he yelled praying to whatever god that Ashley used to believe in that she was okay. Just please he couldn't live without her. He could hear the others yelling for her as they started their searches. **

"**SHEPARD"**

**Kaidan she thought... what the hell are you yelling for? And why am I so cold. She tried to move but a horrible pain shot up her side. "Oh" she said as the memories of what had happened came flooding back. She felt like she was dying. She wasn't sure where exactly she was, obviously trapped under something. Did I stop them she wonders? She remembers the look of horror on the Catalyst/kids face when she starting shooting the terminal and tries to listen for the sound of Reapers. She doesn't hear anything… Wait what's that? She hears footsteps, or at least she thinks it footsteps. It's hard to tell with all the blood I've lost. Suddenly the metal that had been laying over her pinning her to the ground starts moving away. She starts filling woozy and extremely light headed. Mumbled voices make it to her and then "ALENKO! SHE IS OVER HERE" **

"**Kaidan" she whispers right before everything goes black.**

**He isn't sure how long they have been searching, two hours? More? When he looks up he can see that the 2 medics and even James look to be on the verge of giving up. "ALENKO! SHE IS OVER HERE" Garrus yells. He takes off running, faster than he has ever ran before towards Garrus and the huge metal flap he is holding. He stops as soon as he sees her. For a second he is certain that he is too late. She has always had pale skin but never has it looked like this. He can swear he can almost see right through it. "MEDIC" he yells realizing in the back of his mind he never asked either one of them their names. He reaches down to brush her dark hair off her face. "Shepard, if you can hear me. Fight, for me. I can't lose you again." He whispers in her ear before the medics push him out of the way. He takes a few steps back before falling on his butt. He watches as the medics looked her over and started pulling out medi-gel. Garrus comes up and sits beside him putting an arm over his shoulder but not saying a word. "So you and the Commander huh?" James said as he sits down on the other side of him. Kaidan just looks at him not saying anything. Not sure if he should, because technically it was still against regulations. So he just sat there watching as the medics worked on the only woman he has ever truly loved. The young male medic started walking towards them and Kaidan could see that his name tag said Adam. **

"**She has lost a lot of blood and is unconscious, but I think we found her in time. We applied the medi-gel and it appears to have stopped the bleeding but I won't know for sure until I can get her somewhere and check her over fully. If you all could help me lift her on to the stretcher and into the mako, we can head to the closest medic center." Before Adam could finish his sentence all three men were up and ready to help their beloved commander any way they could.**

**They easily got Shepard up onto the stretcher and into the Mako. Kaidan sat in the back with Shepard, holding her hand but not doing anything more for fear of being in the medics way. **

**She could feel his hand holding hers and knew immediately who it was. No one else's hand could feel that rough yet so soft and comforting at the same time. She opened her eyes and saw him sleeping in a chair that he had obviously pulled up close to her bed to set in. She looked around and realized she was in the Normandy's medical bay. She looked back at Kaidan who looked so peaceful that she couldn't bring herself to wake him. She didn't get to sit there long as it was only a few minutes later that Dr. Chakwas walked in. She stopped as soon as she noticed Shepard was awake and a smile lit her face when she looked over at the sleeping Kaidan still at Shepard's bed side.**

"**You know Commander, he hasn't left your side since they brought you in" Chakwas said quietly as she walked over to check the monitors and one IV stuck in her hand. **

"**How long have I been out?" Shepard asked.**

"**Just a little over three weeks"**

"**Three weeks!" Shepard squealed loud enough to wake Kaidan causing him to jump up in alarm and nearly fall out of the chair.**

"**I think I'll let the Major explain" she chuckled as she pulled the only IV in Shepard's arm out and quickly left the room.**

**She looked over at Kaidan with a sheepish smile on her face "Hi" **

"**Hey, how ya feeling?" he said while lightly squeezing her hand.**

**She smiled "Fine, considering I've been out for three weeks. What happened?"**

"**Well you got the Crucible to work and managed to destroy all the reapers. I was hoping you can explain that. We found you but you had some serious injuries and had lost a lot of blood. You were unconscious and eventually you slipped into a coma. You scared me Shepard. Try not to do that again." He said with a half-smile. She could hear the slight strain in his voice and see the concern in his soft brown eyes. **

"**I'll try to remember that next time Kaidan." She said with a soft smile "As for destroying the Reapers, I talked to the Catalyst and I'm pretty sure he was protecting the Reapers, maybe even a Reaper himself" she stopped thinking of the way the kid tried talking her into controlling the Reapers. "Anyways he gave me some options that I didn't like. So I did what I do best and just shot stuff." Shepard nearly laughed at the confused look on his face. **

"**Well, whatever you did it worked." He wanted to ask her more about the choices and the Catalyst, but figured he would worry about that later, right now he had something else in mind. Something that he had been dying to do since the moment he saw her awake. He leaned in close and he kissed her. He kissed her with every ounce of love he had for her. He kissed out all the fear of losing her and all the joy of seeing her awake. **

**She had always loved how passionate he could be with just a single kiss, well it started as a single kiss. She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him closer playing with the hairs at the back of his neck as he put his arms around her waist pulling her even closer melding their upper bodies together before slowly sliding his hands up her back. **

**They kissed for as long as they could before finally breaking apart letting their foreheads touch while trying to catch their breath. "Wow" Shepard said, still trying to calm her breathing. "I missed you too" she giggled.**

**Kaidan kissed her again, slowly moving his mouth and kisses across her cheek, down her jaw line, down her neck before slowly moving back up towards her ear. "I love you" he whispers. She moves her hands from behind his neck to cups his face in her palms, guiding it away from her ear, so she can look him in the eyes. "I love you too, Kaidan" she says before pulling him in for another kiss.**


End file.
